Slater P-51 accident near Hampstead, NC
On January 9, 2000, a Slater P-51 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Hampstead, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 9, 2000
- Place
- Hampstead, NC
- Aircraft
- Slater P-51 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.359°N, 77.711°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X20408
NTSB summary
On January 9, 2000, at about 1224 eastern standard time, a Slater P-51, N656S, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Hampstead, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Topsoil Airport (01NC) Hampstead, North Carolina, about 1 minute before the accident. Witnesses stated the airplane was observed taking off on runway 3. The airplane became airborne about 1,000 feet down the runway. The airplane reached about 100 to 150 feet, started a slow left turn, the airplane appeared to stall, the left wing dropped down, the nose pitched down, and the airplane disappeared from view behind a tree line and crashed. Examination of a video of the accident by the FAA revealed a normal ground roll and rotation progressed to a shallow climb out. At about 50 yards past the end of the runway and no more than 100 feet altitude it appeared the pilot may have initiated a turn to the left which quickly resulted in a spin to the left. The airplane collided with a wooded area to the left of the runway extended centerline in a nose-low attitude. The engine separated from the airframe and the debris field was consistent with a stall/spin sequence. There was evidence of fuel in both tanks. Flight control continuity was not possible due to the extent of the damage to the aircraft. For additional information see FAA Inspector Statement. Visual inspection of the engine assembly and accessories by A&P
Probable cause
The pilots failure to maintain airspeed (VSO) while maneuve ring on a turn to crosswind resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin, and subsequent in-flight collision with trees and terrain.
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Browse: North Carolina
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
